Four Sticks
by mishainpanties
Summary: Based off of the album Led Zeppelin IV- every track is a chapter. In which Dean Winchester is a going-nowhere alcoholic, who has most of his life spent in a downwards spiral. Castiel joins the picture and suddenly his life is going somewhere other than down.


**Track 1- Black Dog**

**"Hey hey mama said the way you move, gun' make you sweat, gun' make you groove."**

Dean reached for his drink that sat on the bar; hesitating just before his hand touched the cold glass. He stopped and stared at the color of it, a sweet amber color that was only enhanced by the reflection of the gleaming light from the shiny bar top. It was beautiful—uncomfortably so. A piece of ice slipped to the bottom of his glass, and he swallowed, grasping the glass firmly and bringing it up to his lips. "You know, you ought to quit that stuff." The bartender said, looking at him for only a moment while she wiped down a nearby counter. Dean shrugged. "A little booze never really hurt anyone, did it?" Scoffing, the bartender replied, "Yeah, a little. I've seen men being carried off to the hospital for drinking what you do. Bobby says it's interfering with your work."

Dean dropped his head and spun his glass under his fingertips with a careful touch, leaning his other arm against the bar. "Yeah, Ellen, I'll bet." Dean responded. "That's exactly why he fired me." He looked back up at Ellen who seemed to be sighing. Not just with her breath, with her whole body-her shoulders and her eyes, which gleamed with brown and fifty kinds of sad. "So fill me up, will you?" Dean continued, pushing his glass towards the woman. Ellen stood for moment and frowned, waiting for something that she knew wouldn't come. Eventually she gave up and reached for the glass. Dean gave a pathetic half-smile and turned in his seat, waiting for his next drink, as he had time and time again.

And that's when he saw him.

In all actuality, he almost missed him, but out of the corner of his eye, from the group of people dancing on the other side of the room, he noticed a movement that he was drawn to turn his head and further inspect. Now he was noticing the music. Something old that with a foggy head Dean couldn't quite put a name to, but it was good, it was rock, and it was fast-paced- the kind of song that made you imagine a drummer behind his set have the absolute time of his life. Dean hardly ever bothered to actually listen to what was playing, but with the circumstance he was inclined to notice it. It was just a hum from where Dean was, but he knew that from where the crowd was standing, it was roar, moving between every crack and crevice, filling the space between everyone. And right in the center was a man, and boy, was he a sight if Dean had ever seen one. His hips swayed perfectly in rhythm, easily beating out all of the mediocre skills of the college kids surrounding him. His knees were bent just slightly, and maybe it was just Dean's drunken mind, but time around him seemed to slow down. He was like a star in the night, glowing perfection in a crowd of flaws. Dean couldn't even place his finger on it, but something about that man and the way he moved was magical, and frankly was making him a bit queasy. The man's striking blue eyes fell on Dean, and he froze, and he winked—winked at Dean, who gripped at his pants with an uneasy fist. This was getting to be too much.

Dean felt his feet hit the floor and his body moving forward before he became conscious of his actions. He moved in a glide-like way, fixated on what was before him. A small smirk creeped over the man's visage as Dean moved toward him. The music thumped in Dean's ears as he approached, he was right, it was much louder on this end. Once he was in a reachable distance, the man extended his hand and grabbed the seam on the sleeve of Dean's leather jacket. He tugged hard enough to pull Dean towards them, letting go when they were face to face and dress to dress, only to bring both hands up and grab at the opened zipper. Dean's heart flipped in his chest.

"Castiel." he muttered with a low gravelly voice that was probably much louder than

Dean heard it as. Castiel's hips were still swinging as he spoke, causing Dean's hands to roam until they found their place; a firm grasp on both sides of the other's body. He nodded and gave his name. Dean didn't dance, he had never found the need to, but a slight swaying seemed to work under Castiel's motion. If there was anything in this world that made Dean want to dance, it was the look from the azure eyes staring back at him."You don't come here much." Dean observed aloud, dragging his eyes up Castiel's body as best as he could in the close space and dark room. When his gaze reached Castiel's face he saw a mischievous grin and a look in his eyes that could only mean trouble. Dean tried to swallow, but found instead that his mouth had gone dry. One of Castiel's hands moved up Dean's chest and around to grab at the nape of his neck. "I'm gonna have to guess that you do, then?" Castiel responded in a way that Dean could only describe as a growl.

Dean let out a long breath that he hadn't realized he was holding in. "If you're spending a lot of time in a place like this," Castiel continued, "I bet that you've picked up a lot of guys like me." Dean snorted and dropped his now at Castiel's leg that had begun sliding between his own."No." he breathed out in a notably quieter tone. Castiel adjusted his hips to their new place on Dean's thigh. The song had changed to something more fast-paced and their hip-swinging had progressed to near grinding. "No?"Castiel asked in a sort of disbelief. Sometime, Castiel couldn't remember when, both of his arms had become wrapped around Dean's neck and they were brushing nose to nose. A small smile pressed at Dean's lips and he answered, "I've never seen anyone who was anything like you."

Dean's hips pushed outwards the same time that Castiel's moved upwards, causing a warmth to spread through Castiel's abdomen. The sensation caused his jaw to go slack in a moment of lost control. "You have a way with words, Dean. But I think you'll find I'm much less impressive to a sober eye." Castiel spoke in a sigh. Dean hummed something in the back of his throat that Castiel couldn't decipher before he said, "Let's go somewhere where I can sober up then, and I'll bet you that you're wrong." Castiel rolled his hips again and both men stifled a moan, Dean doing a better job of hooded eyes, Castiel answered, "Alright Dean, I'll go somewhere with you. Let's keep it classy, though."

Dean smirked and pulled Castiel off of him, just long enough to wave at Ellen, who smiled back pleasantly. He pulled Castiel back close to him by the hip and led him out of the building, only having to push past a few college kids. "Did you drive here?" Dean asked as they reached the parking lot."No, my friend dropped me off."Castiel responded. Dean smiled and he turned Castiel to his Impala. It sat under a streetlight and was one of the only cars in the lot. Despite it being dark out, the car had a particular gleam that Castiel saw himself oddly drawn to. "You okay to drive?" he asked, knowing Dean had had at least a few drinks. "Always." Dean answered, opening the door to the driver's seat.

Castiel climbed into the passenger seat, enjoying the musky scent of the car that was familiar, as it was similar to that of the other man. As the car pulled out of the parking lot, Cas noticed an open box full of what looked like cassette tapes. He lifted it from its place on the floor of the car, hoping he wouldn't upset the driver, and began slowly shifting through it. Not only, Castiel quickly found, was it cassette tapes, it was rather old cassette tapes. Bands that were big in times from the sixties through the eighties, and they all seemed to actually be from that time. Titles like Metallica, ACDC,The Rolling Stones, and even Led Zeppelin. "I'm guessing that the song that the song we first danced to, it's one you like?" Castiel asked Dean as he examined a copy of Led Zeppelin IV. At first the only response that Castiel got was a smirk. "You testing me already?" Dean asked. "Not really a first date type thing. But I'm not sure, I didn't really hear it."

A grin crossed Castiel's face as he blushed to the words 'first date'. "It was Black Dog by Led Zeppelin." he said, enjoying the pleased shrug he got in return. Cas, now looking up at his surroundings, came up with a plan. "Take a right up here." he ordered of Dean, who glanced over at Cas and complied. "I'm now gonna get killed right now or anything, am I?" he catechized. Castiel peered over at Dean.

"You're too pretty to murder."

"I'm glad."

The rest of the short ride, only about five more minutes down the road Cas had told Dean to take, was in silence. Dean was strongly focused on the dark road, and Castiel was busy rummaging through the box of cassettes, having already put Led Zeppelin IV to the side. Dean stopped when he noticed that they were now in a field. "Here?" he asked to the man who had not lifted his head in several minutes. "Here." he answered with a nod. "Play this." Cas demanded as he pulled himself out of the front seat. Dean smiled to himself and put in the cassette. He waited until the lyrics started, a smooth and high flow that was expected from any Led Zeppelin song, before he left his car the join Castiel.

He found the other man laying on his back, just in front of where the Impala was parked. "We're not going to get in any trouble for being here, are we?" Dean asked, still standing and staring at Castiel. With his eyes closed, Castiel broke out into an amused grin. "Not likely." he answered, "This is my land. My big brother got the business and my twin brother didn't want anything, so I ended up with a nice little meadow that was supposed to become a park. The city wants it, but it's mine." He opened one eyes to turn his head and look up at Dean. "Sit." he ordered. Dean hesitated a moment, almost wanting to protest, but instead sighed and sat beside Castiel.

_"Hey hey baby, when you walk that way, Watch your honey drip, can't keep away."_

The lyrics poured around Dean like whiskey on ice, as he was always too quick to think about. "Think sober thoughts." Dean thought to himself, remembering his bet with Cas, who was now humming along to the music. God, Cas was gorgeous. There was no way that the alcohol was making that up. He didn't even really get drunk anymore, just numbed, and had effectively reduced himself to no more than a crap filled shell of self loathing. Shadows cast heavy over Castiel's face and a low hum came from somewhere in his throat that matched the song, and Dean thought to himself that just this once, for this little bit amount of time, he didn't want to be numbed. Then he could really enjoy this, enjoy Cas. He hadn't gotten out in ages. Dean tilted his head up towards the sky to see what Cas had been looking at. The night seemed dull, it always does at first glance, but he kept looking anyway, and felt himself becoming mesmerized. He almost didn't notice when the song ended.

"I've noticed something." Castiel spoke softly, taking advantage of the slight pause between the two songs. "What's that?" Dean asked, pulling vision stare away from the sky to turn and face Cas, who was still fixated on the stars. "You're not trying to have sex with me. Not actively, at least." he answered, voice only a low hum against the music. Dean shrugged. "Yeah, I guess not. Maybe I just don't want to get taken advantage of." he smirked at Castiel who smiled happily. Abruptly, Castiel stood from his place. "I like you, Dean, and I want to take you to a party, Dean. I've been avoiding it all night, but now I think I'd like to go." he proclaimed, "In all actuality, it isn't much of a party but rather a get-together, and if you agree to go with me now, you will meet several people whom I already know intimately." Dean rose slowly, legs stiff from all the sitting and standing. He pushed his shoulders back and said nothing but, "I'd love to go." because that's all he had time to say before Castiel placed himself in the front seat of the Impala. "Have you ever been to that joke shop on Dewey Lane? It's called 'Tricksters'." Castiel asked when Dean joined him in the car. "Yeah, absolutely." he answered honestly. When his brother Sam visited, they had initiated a prank war and Trickers was a frequent stop in Dean's daily routine. "Excellent." Cas responded, "We're going there. Really the apartment above there, but you'll park in the same place and everything." Dean nodded and just let the music do the talking as he drove. It wasn't awkward at all, sitting silently with Cas while the music played. It felt strangely natural for someone Dean had just met, but everything was just right. The drive was short enough, about fifteen minutes, but long enough for Castiel to ask a few questions here and there. Dean found them strange and random, but practical enough. He would ask things like Dean's last name or birthday, and then always give his own when Dean finished answering. The questions came at random intervals, and from what Dean could tell it was just whenever they came to him. And in between the questions, the music was nice.

"Dean." Cas started when the Impala stopped in the mostly darkened parking lot. The only light was from the small window of the apartment that Dean could now tell was most definitely there. "I don't want to look indecent; bringing a man that I've only just met to my brother's house. So with your permission, I'd like to lie."

"What did you have in mind?" Dean asked. He understood where Cas was coming from, and he was no stranger to lying. "Maybe we could pretend that instead of just this evening, we met three weeks ago. And maybe we've fallen into some sort of steady relationship." He proposed. He was nervous but refused to show it to Dean. It was obviously a strange thing to ask, but he kept with it, because like a lot of strange things, it was also a bit brilliant. "Like pretend boyfriends?" Dean suggested. "Exactly." Cas answered with a smile. "Sounds perfect." Dean assured him.

Dean smiled smugly as he followed Castiel up the metal exterior staircase that led to the second floor. Cas knocked twice before a shorter man with slicked-back hair that Dean recognized vaguely answered. "Cassie!" The man exclaimed upon seeing his brother. He wrapped his arms around Castiel's midsection and squeezed him tightly. "Awesome." Castiel muttered underneath his breath. "Hey, I know you!" he said. He smirked with cunning gold eyes glinting towards Dean. "This is Dean." Cas said, before Dean could. "He's my boyfriend."

Dean felt a blush start at the tips of his ears. He knew it was a lie, but it made him feel strangely tingly anyway. No one had introduced him as their boyfriend in a _very_ long time. "Dean, this is Gabriel. He's my twin brother." Cas introduced. Dean's eyes flicked back and forth between the two men and Cas added, "We're fraternal."

"Well come inside, bro. No need to stand outside in the dark." Gabriel invited as he pushed to door open, revealing his small living space. Through the room, spread out across a sofa and the floor, were a lot of people that Dean didn't recognize. Castiel pulled Dean close and introduced the small group. "The redhead is Anna, over there is my brother Michael, that's Balthazar, Eve- I don't like her, Meg, Sarah, and Kevin." Dean nodded. Other than Eve, whose smug expression Dean already wasn't fond of, they seemed to be a pleasant enough group. "I'm Dean." he greeted, a small wave to the crowd. "This is little Cassie's boyfriend." Gabriel said from behind, clasping a hand on to Dean's shoulder. "Shit!" Meg exclaimed as she reached for her pocket and handed Kevin a twenty. "I bet her she wouldn't be able to take Cas home tonight." Kevin explained to Dean. Oddly, that made Dean jealous. Castiel wasn't really his boyfriend, but they didn't know that. "Well Meg, you're about 3 weeks too late." Cas said, shooting a glare at the brown-haired girl. "Fuck." Meg swore under her breath. "Well. welcome to the family, Dean." Gabriel said, motioning to the assorted bunch of people who sat around the room.

"_What have I gotten myself into?"_ Dean thought, hopefully not out loud.


End file.
